Knight in Shining Armour
by EnticingHell
Summary: On her way home from school, River-Vixen co-captain Taylor never expected to be swept off her feet by a Southside Serpent.
1. Ch. 1

"That's it for today, ladies! Next week's practice is Wednesday at four, be there or get booted!" Called Cheryl Blossom, Taylor's best friend into the locker room full of Riverdale's very own River Vixens. "Tay, great job. Next time, try not to outdo me? Just kidding, you were fab. Keep it up. See you tomorrow, bae." With a wave and a wink she was gone and through the door, leaving Taylor all alone.

Finally. A minute to think. A minute to not be a River Vixen. Of course, she loved her best friend and the cheering and the dancing, but something she couldn't stand was being full send Northside Priss. From straight A student and co-Vixen captain, Taylor needed a break from all of the head trauma that was her life.

With a sigh, Taylor slung her bag on and headed out into the hallways of Riverdale High. School had ended an hour ago and the halls were bare. She quickly pulled her long black hair into a messy bun, accepting the fact she was a hot, sweaty mess in her Vixen practice uniform. She was too hot to change back into her daytime clothes. Taylor tugged her shorts down and proceeded out the front doors of the school and began her journey home.

She didn't live far from the school, so she wasn't worried about being abducted or shot by the Black Hood. Man this town was a mess, according to the Black Hood, it was full of Sinners. Wouldn't he be considered one if he's been doing all these awful acts against the people in this town?

Taylor pulled her earphones out and hooked them to her phone, pushing the buds into her ears and blaring her favourite song, Sorrow by Pink Floyd. It fit the mood, Taylor thought to herself.

When she was nearly two blocks away from home, a rev of an engine came from behind her, so loud even over her music. Taylor jumped and pulled the earphones out of her ears only to find a biker pulled up beside her.

"Need a ride, Northside Princess?" she recognized this tall, raven haired boy to be none other than Sweet Pea, a Southside Serpent that hung around with Jughead Jones.

"Not today, Sweetie. Thanks anyway." she waved her hand dismissively, starting to walk again.

"You may want to re-think that." Sweet Pea nodded his head behind her and Taylor looked over her shoulder to see an old, beat up black car trailing behind the two of them, about fifteen meters away. It contained two men, who looked to be mid twenties from what she could see.

Eyes wide, Taylor didn't know what to do. A panic rose inside of her and Sweet Pea tapped his seat behind him. "Jump on, I won't let them follow us and see where you live. Taylor, now." his deep voice demanded, and she found herself crazily jumping on behind Sweet Pea, her arms instinctively wrapping around his middle and for some reason, it felt oddly familiar.

Sweet Pea sped off down the road, and Taylor looked behind just in time to see the black car pull away from the curb and follow them. "They're coming!" she squealed into his ear, and he revved his engine and peeled down the street.

"Hold on, we're taking some sharp turns!" Sweet Pea called over the sounds of the engines. She tucked her head against Sweet Pea's leather jacket clad back, trying to stay calm as she breathed in the scent of him. Comforting. After what seemed like a long time to her, Sweet Pea finally slowed down and she began to relax, lifting her head from Sweet Pea's back. She quickly turned to see if they were still being followed.

"Lost them." He told her, as they pulled next to a building that looked quite run down, but had a sign that said 'Whyte Worm'. "I had to take you some place safe." he turned off the bike and climbed off, holding an arm out to assist Taylor who was trying not to appear as visibly shaken.

"Why didn't you take me home?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest, trying not to show the discomfort that she felt all over her body.

"I don't know where you live. They wouldn't stop trailing us until we crossed the tracks." the tall boy explained. "It's cold. Come inside, we'll warm you up and then I'll take you home when you feel better."

Taylor never expected this kind of comfort from a Serpent. Her whole life she was taught that the Northside was good, and the Southside was bad. Perhaps the universe was trying to show her otherwise.

She followed Sweet Pea into what was a dimly lit bar, and it was full of people wearing Serpent jackets and regular biker clothing. He held out his hand for her to grab and he led her through the crowds of people and up a set of stairs, which led to a single room with the door closed.

Sweet Pea knocked, and the wooden door was soon open by a familiar face, the man who was said to have killed Jason Blossom over a year ago, but was wrongly accused.

"Sweet Pea, who do you have here?" Fp Jones asked, his eyes resting on y/n.

"This is Taylor. She was being followed by Ghoulies. Didn't know where else to take her." he explained, and she saw Fp come to an understanding in his eyes. She was visibly shaken and frightened. He opened the door further and motioned for the pair to enter the room.

Fp's office was complete with a couch on one side, and a desk, computer chair and an old desktop computer. There was a shelf with cabinets above.

Sweet Pea guided Taylor over to the old couch, while Fp dug through the cabinets and pulled out a blanket, handing it to y/n, a soft look on his face.

"You stay here as long as you need, girl." Fp told her.

"Thank you, really." she graciously accepted the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders, coming to sit on the couch. It smelled musty, but it was warm.

"Sweet Pea, can I get a description of the Ghoulies?" Fp turned to the taller boy, who was now leaning against the wall, arms crossed and a distressed look on his face, almost angry.

"Two men, maybe mid twenties. Driving an old beater car, black. That's all I got." he told the older man with a shrug.

"I'm sending out a group to hunt them down. You in?" Fp asked Sweet Pea.

"Damn straight I am." he responded, leaving y/n to protest.

"No! No, please, stay with me. Please." she begged Sweet Pea. "I didn't mean to cause any trouble. You don't have to go after them."

"Taylor, they've been doing this for years. It can't go on." Fp explained to her, worry in his eye. "I'm getting the crew together. You stay, boy." He turned and left, shutting the door behind him.

Sweet Pea and Taylor were left alone, and the boy took a seat next to her, rubbing his hands on the top of his thighs. "Are you okay?" he asked, turning his head to meet her gaze.

"I am now." she clutched the blanket tighter around her. "Thank you, so so much." she truly was grateful, for who knew what would have happened.

"Don't thank me, Taylor." Sweet Pea carefully raised an arm, draping it over her back.

"You think I'm some Northside Princess, Sweet Pea. Why would you care?" she looked to the floor before Sweet Pea used his other hand to turn her chin to look at him.

"You're not like the rest of them. You put on a show, you show your friends and family what they want to see and hear. You're the only one out of your friend group that looks at us like we're not monsters. I notice. I always notice these things." he explained to her in a gentle tone. "You're adifferent. I like different." Sweet Pea slowly leaned in and pressed his lips against Taylor's. She let out a slight gasp but kissed back. The kiss was slow and soft, like Sweet Pea was afraid to scare her off.

This is insane, she thought to herself as she allowed this boy who didn't know her at all, to cup her cheek in his large hand, holding her in place. Taylor was pulled closer by his other hand, and the two sat there for minutes, mouth on mouth.

Eventually the kisses slowed and Sweet Pea pulled away. He had a shy look on his face and he wrapped his arms around the wrapped up girl, pulling her against him. She leaned in, grateful for the comfort and protection this boy gave her.

"Does the kiss count as a thank you?" she smiled up at him shyly.

"If it does, you can thank me whenever you want." he kissed her forehead.

Soon enough he received a text from Fp, saying he and the other Serpents dealt with the Ghoulies and it was all clear for her to go home.

Sweet Pea folded up the blanket and guided y/n back down the stairs and out of the Whyte Wyrm, his arm never moving from around her and keeping her securely next to him.

As the two climbed on the bike, Taylor laughed to herself.

"What?" Sweet Pea asked, turning to her.

"Nothing, just this afternoon I was hating myself for who I am and where I come from. I needed a change. You're that change." she explained, causing Sweet Pea to smile.

"The universe works in mysterious ways, Princess." he told her. He revved the engine on his bike and took the long way back to the Northside. Shs told him the directions in his ear over the wind, her arms secure around his middle.

Finally, they made it to her house. Her destination only a couple hours prior. She slipped off the back of his bike, and leaned against the handle bar.

"Thanks again, Sweet Pea. I couldn't have asked for a better knight in shining armour." she smiled, and bent slightly to kiss him once more. Taylor kissed him a little deeper this time, her hand at the back of his neck and his hand just above her waist. She'd never been kissed like Sweet Pea kissed her, she'd never been treated so much like a lady.

It was nice.

The two pulled away after a minute and said their goodbyes, planning their next meet up within a couple of days. Sweet Pea gave a salute with a wink and made sure she got inside safely before she watched him through the window, and he pulled out of her driveway and tore down the road.

Something inside Taylor changed that day, and it was for good. She would never be who she was before, and with Sweet Pea as her new guide through life, things would be much better.


	2. Ch 2

Back to the Northside life. Back to Riverdale High and the Vixens, Back to classes and back to pretending to be someone who Taylor didn't want to be anymore.

It was the day after her run in with some creepy men, and jumping on the back of a Southside Serpent's motorcycle which could have possibly saved her life. The final bell rang at the end of the day, and she made her way out the door, unsure of what to do. Cheryl had already left, and y/n never even thought about telling her the events of the previous day, but she also wasn't too crazy about walking home.

"Need a ride?" came a deep voice from beside her, and her heart caught in her throat as she turned to match the voice to a very handsome face. Taylor grinned, for this boy happened to be her new knight in shining armour.

"Would you really?" she asked, admiring the tall boy who had a playful smile on his face.

"Of course, Princess. Also, I'd like to take you on a date. I wouldn't consider yesterday a date." Sweet Pea brushed a wisp of hair out of her face and tucked it behind her ear.

Taylor blushed. "What would you consider it, then?" she asked, and the two began walking to Sweet Pea's bike in the parking lot.

"More of a rescue mission to save the Princess."

"Really? Okay, I'll take you up on that first date. Only, you have to pick where." Taylor challenged, as they reached his motorcycle. "And no surprises. Not after yesterday."

"That's reasonable. I'd like to take you to my favourite take-out pizza place on the Southside, Scott's." Sweet Pea offered, handing her a helmet.

"You brought me a helmet?" she asked, strapping it on her head.

"Yeah. It's mine from when I was your head size. Maybe 6 years ago." Sweet Pea laughed, pulling his own over his perfectly gelled hair with a sense of carefulness.

Taylor laughed at the sight of him trying not to mess his hair up and climbed onto the bike behind him. "To Scott's we go." she said aloud, and the two pulled out of the school parking lot and in the direction of the Southside.

Sweet Pea had just recently transferred to Riverdale High, and spent most of his time with his friends, she noticed. He always stood out to y/n. She was glad they had the guts to stand up to the group of Bulldogs that always seemed to try to get the Serpents in trouble. She had no idea what her friends or family would think if this Sweet Pea thing kept up.

The pair flew through the streets of Riverdale, the sound of the loud bike attracting onlookers. Taylor merely kept her gaze on the open road as they sped past, kicking up dirt in their wake.

Soon after they made it to the Southside, they pulled next to a shop that had 'Scott's Pizza' written on the front. It had a couple of picnic tables and benches strewn about, and didn't look big enough to seat anyone on the inside, but if Sweet Pea said it was his favourite pizza place, she was willing to give it a try.

"Here we are, m'lady." Sweet Pea climbed off and so did Taylor, the pair setting their helmets on the seat. He placed a hand on the small of her back and guided her up the steps and into the pizza shop.

"Sweet Pea, how're ya today?" an older man with a large moustache called from behind the counter.

"I'm great, Scottie. Got any slices?" the tall boy replied. Scott nodded. "What kind, Princess?"

"Pepperoni and cheese, please." she smiled.

"I'll have what the lady's having." Sweet Pea told the man, and she began to rummage through her pockets for some bills. "Stop. I got it."

Within minutes, Scott sent Sweet Pea and Taylor out the door, their slices wrapped in tinfoil on paper plates.

"Thank you. You really know how to treat a lady." Taylor grinned as they took their seats at a picnic table.

"Anything for you, Plain Jane." replied Sweet Pea.

"Hey, you're calling me that because I got a pepperoni and cheese pizza? You hypocrite." she laughed from across the table.

"I got it to make you feel better about your picky-ness." Sweet Pea shot back, and he watched closely as she took her first bite.

"What do you have your eye on, creep?" she asked furrowing her brow as she chewed on her pizza.

"Do you like it?" Sweet Pea asked, and she nodded.

"Of course. It's delicious." she replied after a minute.

Sweet Pea smiled and the two sat in silence as they ate.

"I have to be honest with you, Sweet Pea. I've never even thought about hanging with a Serpent. I like it, though." Taylor told him as they finished their pizzas.

"I never thought about hanging with a Northside Beauty Queen." Sweet Pea replied, causing her to blush.

The next day at school, Taylor strode the halls with Cheryl and some other Vixens, chatting about the newest song choices for their next performances. The group was going by a cluster of leather jacket clad teens, the Serpents that attended Riverdale High.

"Hey, Taylor!" called out Sweet Pea, his hand shooting up in a wave.

She was about to wave back when Cheryl slapped her hand down. "Are you crazy? We don't associate with reptiles,Taylor. God." she scoffed, rolling her eyes and pulling y/n in the other direction. She turned her head just in time to see a hurt and pissed look cross Sweet Pea's face.

Later on at lunch, Taylor headed to her locker to drop some books off before she met with Cheryl and the others in the cafeteria. A hand patted her shoulder. She turned to meet the gaze of a tall, angry Serpent.

"This isn't going to happen if you can't even say hi to me in front of your friends, Taylor. Pretty childish if you ask me." he wasn't wrong, she felt guilty.

"Pea, I'm sorry. You know Cheryl, I'd be off the Vixens if she found out about us hanging out."

"That's what you care about? Looks? Popularity? You know what? I know you're a Northsider, but I never expected you to be so fucking shallow." he spat back at her, fury in his eyes. "I shouldn't have picked you up the other day." With that, he slammed her locker shut and stormed off down the hallway, leaving confused students staring after him.

"Shit." Taylor sighed. She just got Sweet Pea into her life, and already he was out of it. She had to do something, and for that something, she had a plan.


	3. Ch 3

She never meant to offend Sweet Pea. She didn't know why she let Cheryl step on her like that. These thoughts still ran through Taylor's mind weeks later. Sweet Pea hadn't made any contact with her and her messages and waves in the hallway weren't enough for him. He never responded.

Taylor had enough, she had made up her mind and created a plan to get Sweet Pea back. Even though the pair had only known each other for a short while, she had began to fall for the tall Serpent.

The plan fell into place on a Friday afternoon, right after the last bell. She was alone at her locker and she saw Cheryl stroll down the hallway towards her, her bright red hair tied up in a pony. Taylor was supposed to be getting ready for Vixen practice. Of course, there was a small crew of Serpents heading in the direction towards Cheryl, Sweet Pea included. He seemed to be walking with Toni and Fangs. He must have told them about what happened, they didn't look impressed.

"Taylor! Where in the world is your Vixen outfit?" Cheryl called, noticing she was still in her regular jeans and t-shirt.

Perfect timing, she thought to herself, and pulled out her Vixen uniform and practice uniform, neatly washed and folded, holding it out to Cheryl.

"I don't want these anymore. Here." she thrusted then into the ginger haired girls hands.

"Excuse me?" a bewildered Cheryl asked, and Taylor turned her head slightly to see Sweet Pea, Toni and Fangs all intrigued to what was happening between the girls.

"I'm done. I quit. Oh, and Cheryl? Another thing." Taylor strutted across to where the three Serpents were standing, and came face to face with Sweet Pea. "I'm sorry." she said, before twining her fingers in the front of his shirt to pull him down to meet her lips. Surprisingly, he kissed back, a hand traveling to the small of her back.

After nearly thirty seconds of deep kissing the two broke apart, breathing heavy. Taylor turned just in time to see Cheryl's beet red face.

The girl rolled her eyes and stormed off, Vixen uniform in hand. Taylor turned her gaze back to Sweet Pea, who was smiling down at her.

"Apology accepted." he interlaced his fingers with his, and y/n had never seen him look so happy.

Toni and Fangs applauded before leaving the two alone in the hall.

"Would you like a ride home, Princess?" Sweet Pea offered.

"How about a ride to your place, my knight in shining armour?"


End file.
